US6092604AExpiredUtility

Sand control screen assembly having a sacrificial anode

65
Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERV INCPriority: May 4, 1998Filed: May 4, 1998Granted: Jul 25, 2000
Est. expiryMay 4, 2018(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Patrick W. RiceLon T. Youngberg
E21B 43/08E21B 43/088B01D 35/06E21B 43/086B01D 29/15B01D 2201/188Y10S166/902B01D 29/48B01D 29/58
65
PatentIndex Score
54
Cited by
12
References
33
Claims

Abstract

A sand control screen assembly (10) having a sacrificial anode (26) is disclosed. The sand control screen assembly (10) comprises a plurality of ribs (16) spaced around a base pipe (12) and a screen wire (18) wrapped around the plurality of ribs (16) forming adjacent turns (20, 22) having gaps therebetween that allow the flow of fluids therethrough while preventing the flow of particulate therethrough. The plurality of ribs (16) includes at least one rib (26) that comprises a first metal. The screen wire (18) comprises a second metal that is cathodic to the first metal such that the at least one rib (26) that comprises the first metal acts as a sacrificial anode to reduce the environmental cracking of the screen wire (18).

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sand control screen comprising: a plurality of ribs spaced around an axis, at least one of the plurality of ribs comprising a first metal; and   a screen wire wrapped around the plurality of ribs forming adjacent turns having gaps therebetween, the screen wire comprising a second metal that is cathodic to the first metal whereby the at least one of the plurality of ribs comprising a first metal is a sacrificial anode for the screen wire.   
     
     
       2. The sand control screen as recited in claim 1 wherein each turn of the screen wire is in electrical contact with the at least one of the plurality of ribs comprising a first metal. 
     
     
       3. The sand control screen as recited in claim 1 wherein the first metal further comprises steel. 
     
     
       4. The sand control screen as recited in claim 1 wherein the second metal further comprises stainless steel. 
     
     
       5. The sand control screen as recited in claim 4 wherein the stainless steel is austenitic stainless steel. 
     
     
       6. The sand control screen as recited in claim 4 wherein the stainless steel is 316L stainless steel. 
     
     
       7. The sand control screen as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of ribs further comprises the first metal. 
     
     
       8. The sand control screen as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of ribs further comprises the second metal. 
     
     
       9. A sand control screen for disposition about a perforated base pipe that is threadably attachable to a pipe string, the sand control screen comprising: a plurality of ribs spaced around an axis, at least one of the plurality of ribs comprising a first metal; and   a screen wire wrapped around the plurality of ribs forming adjacent turns having gaps therebetween, the screen wire comprising a second metal that is cathodic to the first metal, each of the turn of the screen wire being in electrical contact with the at least one of the plurality of ribs comprising a first metal such that the at least one of the plurality of ribs comprising a first metal acts as a sacrificial anode to retard the environmental cracking of the screen wire.   
     
     
       10. The sand control screen as recited in claim 9 wherein the first metal further comprises steel. 
     
     
       11. The sand control screen as recited in claim 9 wherein the second metal further comprises stainless steel. 
     
     
       12. The sand control screen as recited in claim 11 wherein the stainless steel is austenitic stainless steel. 
     
     
       13. The sand control screen as recited in claim 11 wherein the stainless steel is 316L stainless steel. 
     
     
       14. The sand control screen as recited in claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of ribs further comprises the first metal. 
     
     
       15. The sand control screen as recited in claim 9 wherein at least one of the plurality of ribs further comprises the second metal. 
     
     
       16. A method for retarding the environmental cracking of a screen wire of a sand control screen comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of ribs;   including at least one rib comprising a first metal;   wrapping the screen wire around the plurality of ribs forming adjacent turns having gaps therebetween, the screen wire comprising a second metal that is cathodic to the first metal; and   retarding the environmental cracking of the screen wire by utilizing the at least one rib comprising a first metal as a sacrificial anode.   
     
     
       17. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising the step of electrically coupling each of the turn of the screen wire with the at least one rib comprising a first metal. 
     
     
       18. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the first metal further comprises steel and the second metal further comprises stainless steel. 
     
     
       19. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of ribs further comprises the first metal. 
     
     
       20. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising the step of including at least one rib comprising the second metal. 
     
     
       21. A sand control screen assembly comprising: a base pipe;   a sand control screen disposed about the base pipe, the sand control screen comprising a first metal; and   a sacrificial anode electrically contacting the sand control screen, the sacrificial anode comprising a second metal that is anodic to the first metal to retard environmental cracking of the sand control screen.   
     
     
       22. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 21 wherein the sand control screen further comprises a plurality of ribs spaced around the base pipe. 
     
     
       23. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 22 wherein the sacrificial anode further comprises at least one of the ribs. 
     
     
       24. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 22 wherein the sacrificial anode further comprises each of the ribs. 
     
     
       25. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 22 wherein the sand control screen further comprises a screen wire wrapped around the plurality of ribs forming adjacent turns having gaps therebetween. 
     
     
       26. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 25 wherein the sacrificial anode further comprises a wire wrapped around the plurality of ribs disposed between adjacent turns of the screen wire. 
     
     
       27. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 21 wherein sand control screen further comprises a series of wire screen meshes. 
     
     
       28. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 27 wherein the series of wire screen meshes are sintered. 
     
     
       29. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 27 wherein the sacrificial anode is one of the wire screen mesh in the series of wire screen meshes. 
     
     
       30. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 27 wherein the sacrificial anode is the innermost wire screen mesh of the series of wire screen meshes. 
     
     
       31. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 27 further comprising a shroud disposed about the series of wire screen meshes and a perforated housing disposed about the shroud. 
     
     
       32. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 31 wherein the sacrificial anode is the shroud. 
     
     
       33. The sand control screen assembly as recited in claim 21 wherein sand control screen further comprises a porous sintered metal structure.

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